Carrying Capacity and Limiting Factors

Front

What is carrying capacity?

Back

The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can support sustainably.

Front

What are limiting factors?

Back

Environmental conditions that restrict the growth, abundance, or distribution of an organism or a population.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Front

Give an example of a biotic factor in an ecosystem.

Back

Plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria.

Front

Give an example of an abiotic factor in an ecosystem.

Back

Water, sunlight, temperature, soil, and minerals.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Front

How do predators affect carrying capacity?

Back

Predators can decrease the carrying capacity by reducing the population of prey species.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Front

What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors?

Back

Biotic factors are living things, while abiotic factors are nonliving things.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Front

What effect does an increase in available food have on an ecosystem?

Back

It can increase the carrying capacity of the ecosystem.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Front

What role does disease play in an ecosystem?

Back

Disease can decrease the population size, thus affecting the carrying capacity.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Front

How does temperature influence an ecosystem?

Back

Temperature affects the metabolic rates of organisms and can influence species distribution.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Front

What is an example of a density-dependent limiting factor?

Back

Food availability, disease, and competition.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1